


The One Where Rhodey Doesn't Meet Bruce for a Long Time

by CaraMia



Series: The Billion-Heirs' Club [4]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-16
Packaged: 2018-05-21 02:35:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6034744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaraMia/pseuds/CaraMia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain James Rhodes had really not expected his assignment as liaison to Stark Industries to devolve into babysitting a drunk billionaire CEO barely younger than he was.</p><p>That was before he'd met Anthony Stark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Where Rhodey Doesn't Meet Bruce for a Long Time

**Author's Note:**

> For the anon who asked. Sorry there's not much Bruce in here - writing Rhodes dealing with Tony was too fun to miss out on. (Which is why it's like 5x as long as the one about Pepper & Bruce. I should remedy that. I need more Pepper in my life.)
> 
> Does the MCU cover Rhodes and Tony meeting for the first time? I have no memory of such a thing. (EDIT: oh, lol, rewatched Iron Man and apparently they went to MIT together. whooooops.)
> 
> There's swearing! Also, people use phones way more than you'd expect.

Captain James Rhodes had really not expected his assignment as liaison to Stark Industries to devolve into babysitting a drunk billionaire CEO barely younger than he was.

That was before he'd met Anthony Stark. 

*

After day one on his new assignment, Rhodes wanted to call his CO and ask what he'd done to so offend the woman that she felt the need to drive him crazy.

Rhodes was a professional soldier, however, dedicated to his job and his country and would not complain to his CO about a shit assignment. He did, however, call his grandmother. If anything, the 20 minute lecture on how he didn't understand what _real_  hardship was like at least took his mind off of his day.

Rhodes had been honored, initially. He'd heard great things about Stark Industries' new weapons technologies and knew he was on the shortlist to be the liaison. Then he'd been injured and that was that. People who didn't know the whole story might grumble that he'd broken his arm on purpose to get the cushiest job the military was offering, but everyone else had no complaints.

He got the Stark Industries tour while his arm was still in its cast. Obadiah Stane himself showed around Rhodes and his CO (a lively Latina in her early 50s, General Espinosa had invited herself along on Rhodes's tour, expressing an interest in seeing "what all the fuss was about"), giving a masterful tour and sales pitch. Rhodes and Espinosa were just as impressed as Stane wanted them to be. But if Rhodes had thought the technology was impressive, the technology's main creator was more like a force of nature.

Anthony Stark had been in the middle of a huge and empty work area. There were no other designers or engineers in the white room. The high ceilings and distant walls made all noise reach desperately to fill the space. Stark was surrounded by rolling white boards, and the squeaking of the marker as he wrote was the only sound that dared intrude. Rhodes thought he'd go crazy if he had to work in such a lifeless space.

(Later, when Rhodes sees Tony's personal workshop for the first time, he laughs. The clutter, low lights, and constant loud noise give a much more accurate first impression - "If I'd met you _here_ ," Rhodes tells him, crouching to greet the robots as they come to investigate the newcomer, "I would've been much better prepared to handle you." The workshop at SI has long been given over to a group of collaborators who gleefully redecorated with the CEO's express permission.)

Standing there, next to Obadiah Stane and Espinosa, Rhodes was nervous. They'd met absolutely everyone else - secretaries, managers, engineers, even the damn lunch lady - before Stane had said something like, "And last of all, I suppose you ought to meet the name on the door."

(There was something off about the way Stane referred to Stark. Rhodes never mentioned it, not even later. It was obvious how Stark saw the man and there had never been an appropriate time.)

Stark didn't acknowledge them until Stane yelled his name across the room. The young man jolted, flinging the marker into the distance, yanked a small earbud from his ear, and finally turned to face them. He concentrated very briefly on the military uniforms before grinning at Stane and striding over to them. Rhodes almost expected him to bound across the room instead of the sedate pace he set; Stark was very clearly a tightly wound coil of energy, barely contained in his own skin. He was clean shaven and angular, obviously still growing into himself, and had a politician's firm handshake and steady gaze as he introduced himself first to Espinosa, then to Rhodes.

So smoothly that Rhodes doubted Stark had any idea he'd done it, he took control of their little group. A brief admonishment to Stane about not telling him this was today (with a calculated wink to show the casual camaraderie the remark was meant to be taken as) and they were swept up in Stark's wake. Where Stane's remarks had been about the past and present accomplishments of SI, Stark was entirely focused on the future: newer, bigger weapons, better integration of technology and weaponry, more more more. The only point he let himself be sidetracked on was clean energy and Rhodes had to wonder why SI bothered with weapons at all. He was convinced that a passionate Tony Stark could convert a room full of oil executives to his side. 

He was also very grateful that Stark had been born an American. Rhodes wasn't sure he liked the idea of ever being on the side opposing Stark. That looked like it would be a losing battle from day one. 

The tour had ended with more firm handshakes and Rhodes had gone home thrilled – with SI, with Stark, with his CO for landing him an awesome job at the forefront of weapons development. He couldn’t wait to start.

Two weeks later, after the end of his first official day, Rhodes couldn’t wait to be done.

It wasn’t that Stark was any less brilliant, or SI any less impressive. It was that Rhodes had signed up to be a soldier in order to serve his country and he didn’t think listening to Tony Stark ramble to himself was really the best use of his skills. Consulting with the other engineers had been better. They had more realistic standards and an actual ability to collaborate with other humans. He’d spent a very productive couple of hours with them before Stane’s secretary had come to shepherd him back to the big, white, empty room; sole occupant: Tony Stark.

Stark had actually noticed him this time (or at least paid attention when an attractive woman walked in), but it took him a minute to remember who Rhodes was.

“Liaison! I see Obie doesn’t want you playing with the big kids either. Be a dear and sit quietly, will you? I’m almost done here.”

Stark’s definition of ‘almost done’ appeared to be very loose. By 5pm, he’d switched projects twelve times, completely scrapped two ideas, and hadn’t stopped for a break once. Any attempt at communication was greeted by him popping out an earbud and saying “huh?” or “yes, dear?” The stillness and silence and complete lack of productivity was grating on Rhodes’s nerves so badly that he walked out at 5pm with only a brief nod goodbye to SI’s CEO.

He couldn’t be sure that Stark had even noticed him leave.

The next two visits went much the same way. He’d committed to coming in once a week, so he did, because James Rhodes was nothing if not a man of his word. Each time he started off in the collaborative engineers’ world – and each time someone had come to helpfully escort him away. Rhodes couldn’t tell if Stane thought he was being helpful or knew he was being obtuse. Probably the man thought the best way to impress the military was to put them in the room with the creative power behind SI, the name on the door, the legendary CEO. Aside from greeting him when he appeared, Stark did not seem to notice Rhodes the rest of the time.

Rhodes had the distinct feeling that there was a conspiracy happening above his head, involving his CO Espinosa, Stane, and Stark, where they had all gotten together and decided to collectively take the shit out of the new captain. Rhodes sighed, much louder than he had meant to. It was bad when _he_  started seeing conspiracies.

It was the sigh that Rhodes would blame later for what happened. If he’d kept his mouth shut, Stark never would have realized he was there. Instead, the sigh brought Stark’s attention sharply to Rhodes. He removed his headphones and actually spoke.

“Rhodes, isn’t it?”

“Can I help you with anything, Mr. Stark?” Rhodes fought to keep the bitterness out of his tone. It probably wasn’t true that Stark had anything to do with Rhodes’s ongoing torture – it was just difficult not to feel like he did.

“Riiight, first off: it’s Tony,” Stark pointed at himself and grinned, “or something equally cool, like, um, the Starkster! Second: how long are you stuck on this shit assignment? Are you seriously going to just sit and watch me all day?” Stark considered Rhodes for an extra second before adding, “You’re not a voyeur, are you? I’m gonna have to have serious words with Obie if he got us a military liaison who likes to watch the Stark creative process. There’s actually a whole forum of people online. Sometimes I send them my notes just to watch their little brains explode.”

Considering he felt like he was two seconds away from strangling Tony Stark, it was with some surprise that Rhodes found himself in a car with the man on their way to a club 10 minutes later.

* 

“Rhodes. Rhodey. James. Jim. Babe. You gotta get off the bar or they’re not gonna let us stay unless I buy the place, and Obie has enacted a very strict ‘don’t buy any more clubs, Tony’ policy, and I already had to buy the one I went to last week and I really try not to disappoint him more often than I really have to – oh shit! What! He’s off the bar, you wanted him _off the bar_ , you didn’t specify you didn’t want him to _fall_ off the bar and break a few bar stools, honestly—"

*

“Lord Jesus take me now – Stark, where are we? How many bars have we been to tonight? Are you – are you even allowed to carry a whole bottle of scotch around –“

“RHODEY, HOLD MY SCOTCH.”

“Whoa, alright bud, I know we don’t know each other that well, but everyone knows the first rule of going out drinking is not to let someone’s drunk ass drunk-dial an ex. Who the hell are you calling, Stark?”

“Rhodey, Rhodey, listen. I have one, count ‘em, _one_ friend and he hasn’t called me in – ffffuck, four weeks? So it’s _time._ It’s TIME for Bruce to answer his phone. Hold my scotch.”

“Tony, you just handed me your phone.”

“You called me Tony! That’s adorable. I’m making a calendar event to commemem—to com—so we can _fucking remember this shit._ Why are words so wordy. Rhodey, call Bruce for me.”

“You just stole the phone back – don’t call anyone – dammit. Give me that.”

“BRUCE. Thank God we have cell phones now – remember when I had to call Alf to talk to you? Don’t tell him I just called him Alf.”

Rhodes sighed and sat on a curb, cradling his head in his hands. They had apparently been out long enough for him to get drunk and then sober up. He thought he might even be able to see the first hints of the sun rising. There was already a delightful headache pounding a cheerful beat behind his eyes. He was going to deeply regret this in the actual morning. Scratch that. He already regretted this.

Tony dropped next to him a minute later and stole the scotch back, depositing the phone into Rhodes’s hand.

“I’m tired, Rhodey. Talk to Bruce for me.”

Unable to think of any other possible course of action, Rhodes held the phone up to his ear and said, “Please tell me he didn’t prank call someone and then hand me the phone.”

“Honestly, every time he calls it’s a bit like a prank call.” The voice on the other end of the phone line sounded young and much more awake than it should be for the hour. “I’m Bruce. Are you guys alright, or should I call a cab for you?”

“Nice to meet you, Bruce. I’m James Rhodes. Deal with this often? He’s – Jesus, he’s sleeping on the goddamn curb.”

“About once every couple of weeks. What’s your general location? I think I still have the number of a cab company there.”

“We’re right outside, uh,” Rhodes squinted at the bar behind him for a second, “The Woodlands? What kind of weird ass bar is that? Also, you’re not local?”

Bruce laughed. “Not exactly. I’m in Gotham.”

“Damn, kid. Way to look out for your buddy on the other side of the country. How the hell did you meet this idiot anyway? You sound way too well adjusted to be dealing with this shit.”

“We went to school together and I haven’t been able to shake him since.”

“You poor bastard.” Rhodes caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye before Tony reached up and smacked him. He yelped. “What the f—”

“Don’t swear at Bruce! It’sh _illegal_ to swear at traumatized minors.”

“Drink your damn scotch and shut your mouth, do you even know what you’re saying?” Rhodes rubbed the back of his head. For a mostly asleep drunk, Tony had an impressive arm. “Do you know this idiot calls you a ‘traumatized minor’?”

“He’s a traumatized adult, so I don’t take offense.”

Rhodes burst out laughing, shocking Tony enough that the man sat up and grabbed for his phone. Rhodes kept it out of his reach and, deciding that he’d done more idiotic things already tonight, stuck his tongue out at Tony.

“The cab should be there in a few minutes,” Bruce said.

“Buddy, when you’re old enough, I owe you a beer.”

*

It was a long, long time before Rhodes and Bruce met each other face to face. It wasn’t until after Tony came back from Afghanistan.  They talked almost every week though, first when Tony would drag Rhodes out to bars and get drunk enough to fall asleep on the curb, then later as Bruce would want to check in on Tony’s work and life balance, and as Rhodes would want to bitch about Tony’s lack of work and life balance.

The whole “Bruce is actually Bruce Wayne” thing was never really discussed but Rhodes was not an idiot and had a healthy dose of paranoia since becoming Tony’s friend. Also Tony had a tendency to babble about Bruce at literally every opportunity. If Rhodes didn’t know better, he would think either A. Tony had a pet dog he spoiled or B. Tony had a secret child he spoiled. (Tony _not_ spoiling a child or dog had seemed much less likely than him having either of those things.)

Rhodes helped Tony search for Bruce, during his seven-year temper tantrum (as Tony would refer to it later). Rhodes hadn’t been too worried about it; Bruce was young and dealing with a lot of shit, if getting out of town and away from everyone helped him sort things out, all the better.

A year into Bruce’s absence and Rhodes finally worried. There’d been no response from him, even at all the obscure phone numbers Rhodes knew that Bruce checked frequently for messages.

Three years into it and Rhodes received a voicemail from an untraceable number. No one spoke but there was a series of taps, spelling out SAFE in Morse code. It was too vague to be from anyone except Bruce, so Rhodes let Alfred and Tony know, but had to make sure he stressed that it wasn’t something he could confirm. It was enough though, and seeing the relief in their faces for the first time in years made it worth the risk.

Over seven years after Bruce’s disappearing act, Rhodes got a phone call from a Gotham number. Assuming it was Alfred, Rhodes excused himself from his meeting and stepped into the hall.

“This is Rhodes.”

“It’s Bruce.”

Rhodes took a deep breath. He’d had a plan. A very understanding plan, wherein Rhodes would be happy that Bruce had called and was alive and would leave the lecture for Alfred or the fucking police to deliver.

“Kid, I swear to God and on my grandmother’s grave that if you pull that shit again you are so dead.”

(Later, Rhodes finds out that Bruce called him first. He was touched, briefly, before delivering another lecture on the importance of people who raised your dumb, rich ass and were worried sick about you. Rhodes wasn’t sure when he’d turned into the mom-friend, but he suspected it was Tony’s fault.)

*

The first time Rhodes and Bruce actually met, Bruce had come to visit after Afghanistan and Tony’s rather disastrous Iron Man announcement.

“Bruce, Rhodey; Rhodey, Bruce.”

They shook hands and grinned as Tony kept talking.

“I feel like you guys should’ve met long before now; I literally talk to you two about each other all the time, well, and with Pepper, but she’s like my ginger north star, you can’t blame me for that.”

Pepper, mixing herself a drink at Tony’s personal bar, snorted very loudly. (Her version of a mixed drink today was a highball glass filled with vodka and topped with a very small splash of club soda.)

“ANYWAY, Rhodey is my club buddy and –"

“Tony,” Rhodes cut in, still grinning. “You know Bruce and I know each other, right?”

“Wha—“

“We’ve been talking on the phone for _years_ ,” Bruce added, throwing a comforting arm around Tony’s shoulders, “bitching about you.”

Tony’s mouth fell open and he pointed first at one, then the other, before finally exclaiming, “It’s a conspiracy! Pepper! They’re conspiring! It’s all lies – sweet Jesus they just gave each other a _look_ – I’m not standing for this. You’re no longer allowed to be friends if you’re going to gang up on me.”

“I told you two he’d react this way,” Pepper said, lifting herself to sit on the counter and kicking her shoes off. She smiled sweetly when Tony turned a betrayed expression in her direction.

“That’s it, I’m calling… I just realized I have no other friends.”

“Aw, poor thing. One of you boys bring him a drink and let him sit on the couch. He’s going to need a minute to process.”

“JARVIS! I still have JARVIS, right buddy?”

There was silence from the AI and Tony groaned.

“Sir, I feel I must inform you that I also knew that the Colonel and Mr. Wayne were acquainted, as they have both mentioned each other in passing and frequently text each other while in your presence.”

“Creepy as always, JARVIS,” Rhodes mumbled, heading for the bar himself.

“I am betrayed on all sides!”

Bruce rolled his eyes and led Tony to the couch, sitting him down and handing him a glass of scotch.

“At least all your friends like each other, Tony. Think how much worse it would be if Pepper still hated me and Rhodes still hated you.”

“He called me and whined about that, by the way,” Rhodes informed Pepper, who smiled and slipped off the counter, taking Rhodes’s arm and dragging him to the couch.

“He was being an ass and totally deserved to be electrocuted,” she said smugly, settling herself on the couch next to Tony and dragging Rhodes to sit on her other side. Bruce was already squeezed next to Tony.

With no prompting, JARVIS started a movie – sound automatically low and subtitles on.

Rhodes breathed in the moment: all of them safe, all of them together for the first time, Tony alive and already asleep on Bruce’s shoulder.

Overall, a pretty fucking perfect evening. 

**Author's Note:**

> I always make Obadiah Stane much creepier than is necessary because I dislike him. The few interactions we see with him & people other than Tony are always a little off. I made a very strong effort not to include as many parenthetical statements but I just really like them?? I made up Espinosa. typing "Rhodes's CO" got old very quickly.
> 
> If you don't know why Bruce got electrocuted, go read "When Bruce Met Pepper".


End file.
